Happy Monday, everyone! I hope you all had as much fun this weekend as I did! In lieu of my usual weekend activities (read: watching recorded television shows and bumming around the house), I ventured downtown and went to Farm to Table Pittsburgh, a conference featuring vendors, demonstrations and speakers all focused on healthy living. Needless to say, I was like a kid in a (healthy) candy store!

Justin and I arrived at 1:30 and spent our first two hours or so just walking around and sampling all kinds of local goodies like jams, sauces, juices and wines. I loved being able to talk to the people who actually made the food we were eating—learning about their products and seeing their passion for what they do was awesome!

Most of the tables had foods to sample, but some of the exhibitors were just there to share information or tell you about their business. One of the more interesting people I had a chance to meet was Dr. Buzzatto, a holistic dentist located just 15 minutes from my house! Later in the afternoon, I listened to him speak about whole foods and their connection to health. A lot of the information he shared wasn’t new to me, but he did talk about something I had never really thought much about before.

Though I’m a bit embarrassed to share this, I’ve had a decent amount of cavities. They all popped up during my elementary and middle school years, long before I had any knowledge of or interest in nutrition. While all of those cavities are now filled, I honestly never thought about what they were filled with: mercury. The same stuff that fills thermometers and is labeled hazardous if spilled is sitting in my teeth and has been for years—ew! It’s not the most comforting of thoughts…

Aside from new information to freak me out and a rather large stack of flyers, pamphlets and brochures, I did come home with two delicious goodies! I bought a Pirouette Barre, a cinnamon pecan bar created by professional dancers who wanted a pre-workout snack filled with real, healthy ingredients—so they made one! I preferred Pirouette to Barre’s other flavor (Black Swan) because of its lighter flavor and occasional crunch from the nuts.

My other purchase: Carrot Ginger Kvass!

I also bought a carrot ginger drink from Zukay Live Foods, a company that sells raw, probiotic, vegan salad dressings and drinks! After sampling almost all of their other flavors, I decided to go with carrot ginger because of it’s light, energizing flavor. Besides being super good for you, all of Zukay’s products are sugar-free! The kvass juices are slightly sweetened with organic stevia, and that’s just fine with me!

Being able to meet and talk to so many like-minded people was a great way to spend my Saturday. It’s so refreshing to be able to ask health-oriented questions (Is this vegan?) and not get confused looks in return! Deciding to go to Farm to Table Pittsburgh was definitely a good choice, and I can’t wait to go back next year!

What are some of your favorite healthy products? How did you first learn about them?